Forget the bird, broccoli cheese casserole is the real reason I show up for Thanksgiving dinner. I don't even like broccoli all that much, but I love broccoli cheese casserole. I grew up with this on my Thanksgiving plate every year, so when we switched to SCD, I knew I would have to find a way to adapt my mom's recipe or Thanksgiving would never be the same.
As it turned out, there were only two problematic ingredients in the original recipe...breadcrumbs and cream of mushroom soup. The breadcrumbs were easy enough to leave off and as it turns out, the casserole is just as good without the mushroom soup....in fact, it's a lot less greasy. I happen to really like mushrooms though, so I like to add fresh chopped mushrooms instead of the soup. If you don't like mushrooms, leave them out.
This recipe is super easy to make and can be made ahead to be baked or reheated just before dinner. I like to double or triple this recipe because it goes fast and I REALLY like to have leftovers. I'm not even kidding, I will gobble a whole bowl of this for breakfast.
I'm going to share the easy version first, then I'll give you some tips to glam it up in the notes following. And FYI...this is not a "lite" version...it's still chock full of fat, which is why it tastes so good. ;)
INGREDIENTS:
2 pkgs. (10 oz./ea) frozen chopped broccoli, cooked & drained well
1 large onion, diced
1 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped (optional)
1 c. mayo
1 stick butter (salty), melted
4 eggs
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded, plus extra for topping
almond flour (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Mix broccoli, onion, mushrooms, mayo, butter, eggs and 1 c. cheddar cheese in a large bowl, then pour into a shallow 8" baking dish. Sprinkle extra cheddar over the top. Dust with a sprinkling of almond flour if you wish. Bake at 350 degree for 30 minutes. That's it!
When it comes out of the oven it will be looking all toasty and fabulous...
NOTES:
If you want to glam it up, you can use fresh broccoli or a combination of broccoli, romesco or cauliflower. Just chop and steam until tender before using.
If you are using mushrooms, you can play around with different types. I like to use shitakes when I'm feeling fancy, but criminis are good too. I've also used chopped black olives instead of mushrooms, but I like the mushrooms better. You can throw them in raw or steam them with the other veggies to release a little water before assembling the casserole.
If you want to play around with onions, you can do that too...leeks are a great alternative. The white and light green parts can go into the casserole raw, but you may want to soften any dark green parts before using by tossing them in with your other veggies to steam before assembling the casserole.
The mayo I use is Spectrum Canola Mayo, but you could also use homemade. Spectrum is not 100% SCD legal due to the fact that it contains "lemon juice concentrate", but we've used it since starting SCD without any problems.
Feel free to switch up the cheese. Try a white cheddar or a smoked gouda...or any combo of flavors that you like. It's an easy recipe to tweak.
I will link this to my Deliciously Easy SCD Thanksgiving Menu, so you can easily find it. You can also find it under Thanksgiving on the Happy Holidays tab at the top of my blog.
Tomorrow, I'll be sharing my SCD-legal version of Kabocha Squash "Sweet Faux-tato Casserole." Don't miss it!! Thanks for stopping by! XOXO, Cindi
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